I am not going to express views of Trump’s character or suitability. Let us look at how he does it.

He inherited a property empire from his father, who was a property investor, and Trump himself made some good property investments in the 1980s.

He moved into marketing himself. He created an image of himself by buying American football teams, television shows and beauty pageants. He did this to build a brand image of himself. His product was himself, Donald J. Trump. In the same way that “Mickey Mouse” is a brand name or “Weatherspoon’s.”

As he acquired properties and developments, he renamed them after himself. “Trump Plaza”, “Trump Castle” and “Trump Shuttle,” are a few of the names he used.

Did he always win? No. He had setbacks. An $88 million project he planned for was rejected by planners and local opposition. Then, in the early 90s, real problems faced him. He was threatened with business and personal bankruptcy. He survived by re-organising his business and negotiating with his creditors. He has faced bankruptcy several times, but is still there, doing business.

What has this got to do with you?

Let’s look at Trumps survival methods:

Never Give Up.

Despite setbacks, he always searches for a way to continue. You only lose when you give up.

Mutiple Steams.

Develop multiple streams of income. He rents, leases, hires out property, offices, his name. He has built a brand name and rents out the use of his name to other businesses. The association with the brand name “Trump” mean quality and high price.

Niche.

He uses his niche in property to fall back on when times are hard.

Outsource.

Even though he obviously has personal skills, he buys in what he needs in expertise. (He does not decorate his own properties and he had a ghost writer to help him write his book.)

Create a Brand

This takes time but simply by being constant and applying good business practices, your name can improve, you can create your own brand.

Trump has put money into his name. The alternative method is to take time, effort and get good advice.

Can you become as rich as Trump? Probably not, unless you have a head start.

It does not matter what you want to be really good at, the advice still applies. And this is a wonderful “pick me up” if you are feeling a little overwhelmed or inadequate. Have a look and see if you feel something sensible and perhaps some advice you might like to hear.

His Advice is:

Do what you enjoy.

Do the hardest bits first.

Practice hard. We all need to learn new skills. It takes time and application.

Get feedback from experts. It helps to keep you going in the right direction.

Take regular breaks. We all have biological rhythms which limit our ability to focus and concentrate after about 90 minutes. This is called an Ultradian rhythm. Get up, drink some water and look out the window. You will work more effectively afterwards.

Create habits of work. E.g. “From 9 till 11:30, I do my writing, with a 10 minute break in the middle.” Plan this in detail and stick to it. The self-discipline you are practicing is really good for you.

I Can’t Do That

If you feel this is not in your comfort zone, practice one of the steps, until you feel comfortable.

The ability to focus and concentrate on one activity, whether mental, emotional or physical, begins to fade after about 90 minutes.

You may not have the start Trump had, or the money to buy football teams etc., but you have got a wonderful resource, you.

You are unique and have skills and knowledge that is a unique combination. That is your brand.

You have read this article, so you can read and assimilate new knowledge. You can learn how to be successful, perhaps with the help of experts.

If you ride a bicycle or drive a car or can cook a meal then you have the ability to practice and acquire skills.

Do you get up at the same time every day? Go to work at the same time? Always go to the same club or supermarket? You are a creature of habit and can develop new habits.

There are ways of building a business today that did not exist 20 years ago.

There are ways of starting with almost no money.

There are experts who can help you get going and help you sustain and improve your business. They do not charge Trump’s fees.

If you think you are a better person than Trump and, given the chance, could build your own little empire then have a look at this: (First thing is to put your credit cards away.)

This is a way to get a share of the multibillions of the world of the internet.

You can learn some of the basic lessons; get free advice from experts and a planned route to developing your own business.

If that interests you, have a look see. We do not all have to be like Trump and there is room for all of us.

p.s. I do have a view of what Trump is doing: He never wanted to be president. He wanted the publicity.

Think about how his name is in the news in every country in the world. Even the Russians discuss him in the media.